


keith puts himself out there

by faeriegirl



Series: Christmas Fics 2019 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Barista Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Christmas, Gay Keith (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, M/M, doctor lance, keith - Freeform, klance, lance - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:01:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21651922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faeriegirl/pseuds/faeriegirl
Summary: Keith never thought he'd give his number to someone who ordered from the Christmas menu, and wore obnoxious Christmas jumpers. But, here he is.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Christmas Fics 2019 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559785
Kudos: 53





	keith puts himself out there

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy x

Keith didn’t mind working at Shiro’s coffee shop any other time of the year but when Christmas rolls around, he hates it. It’s a combination of the pretentious drinks and the pretentious jumpers that Shiro forces all his employees in to. The doorbell chimes and Keith arms himself with the best fake smile he can muster and a disgustingly charming voice. Somehow, all that dissipates when Keith sees that they’re wearing a Christmas jumper. Not only is the reindeer design on the front ridiculously bad and the jumper an obnoxious fire truck red but it has bells. The same bells playing perpetually in the background of the Christmas CD Shiro has left on loop. Keith barely has the time to wonder who would do that to themselves before the customer is stood at the counter, scanning through the menu.  
“Hi, can I take your order?” The man hums, still scanning through the menu before quickly diverting his attention to Keith.  
“Um, two peppermint hot chocolates please. One medium with extra cream and one large.” Great, and he's ordering from the Christmas menu.  
“Can I get a name?” Keith asks. The man looks confused at his request. “For the order.”  
“Lance.” Keith nods, scribbles his name on the side of the cup and tells the man, Lance, the price. He pulls out his wallet out, slipping a note to Keith and telling him to keep the change.  
“Okay Lance, I'll call you over when it's ready.” Lance smiles and nods and goes to sit at a booth in the corner. The bell jingles again when Keith’s making Lance’s drink and then there’s more jingles and then a particularly loud jingle punctuated by trickling laughter. He finishes Lance’s drinks, looks up to call him over and sees that the extra jingles had been caused by, presumably, Lance's companion. He calls him over and Lance picks up the two drinks with a quiet thank you before sliding back into his seat. 

The shop stays quiet for the rest of the time that Lance is there- only two more customers ordering regular, everyday coffee and then being on their way- so Keith people watches. Shiro says it's weird but he'd rather watch people chatting and drinking coffee than stare at the back of a latte machine for hours, or worse, watch Shiro and Adam be all lovey-dovey and disgusting.  
He watches Lance and his companion for the brief twenty minutes they stay in the shop. Lance is clutching his stomach with tears in his eyes as the person with him shakes and jingles the bells hanging off his jumper. Keith hates to admit that Lance is actually pretty good looking and he also has an adorable laugh to go with it.  
“That’s an awful lot of drool there, might need to get the mop bucket out." Shiro jokes, pretending to wipe drool of the counter with a napkin.  
"Which one of our lovely patrons is Keith crushing on this time?" Adam joins in. "Wait, let me take a look around and I can probably guess."  
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Keith asks defensively.  
"You have a type." Shiro shrugs and then Adam proclaims suddenly,  
"The one with the ridiculous reindeer Christmas jumper. He's a brunette, tan, looks shorter than you and is overly chatty. Isn't that your type Keith?" Adam nudges him.  
"No. It's not. I don't have a type." Keith lied- it was exactly his type. And, he had to admit, Lance was very good looking. Way out of Keith's league good looking.  
"You look like a tomato." Shiro pinches his cheeks before walking back into the stock room.  
"You know, jokes aside, you could ask for his number you know." Adam says once Shiro was out of earshot. "God knows, it's been long enough since--"  
"Geez, Adam! Way to put it nicely." Keith interrupts him with a wave of his hand. "I'll have you know it hasn't been that long."  
"Don't lie to me Keith. Just put yourself out there." Adam smirks, disappearing into the kitchen to check on the cookies he was baking.  
Despite being caught obviously ogling Lance, Keith still watches him and his companion until they stand to walk out the door. Lance's companion had just opened the door for him when Adam's words ring in Keith's head- just put yourself out there. Luckily, there are no waiting customers and Keith, as a barista, always has access to a pen. He barely registers scribbling his number down on a napkin and hopping over the counter.  
"Hey Lance!" He calls out across the car park. Lance turned, confused at the call of his name. Keith jogs briskly up to him and all but shoves the napkin in his hands. "In case you wanted to call, or you know, hang out sometime when you're free."  
"Oh, um, thanks uhh--" Lance struggles for a name.  
"Oh yeah, sorry it's Keith." Keith supplies for him.  
"Okay Keith. I'll give you a ring sometime soon." Lance nods, folding the paper napkin neatly and pocketing it.  
"Yeah, um cool."

"That was the most awkward thing I've ever done. Please do not let me take dating advice from you ever again." Keith says as he slinks back into the cafe.  
"I never told you to jump over the counter and run across the car park to him." Adam shrugs, sweeping the floor. "Also, if you jump over the counter like that again, you're working late to get the scuff marks off."  
"I see Keith went for Mr Dreamboat." Shiro waltzes back in, placing the clipboard in his hands behind the till.  
"And got majorly shut down." Keith winces.  
"What did he say? It can't be that bad!" Adam abandons the sweeping brush to step closer to Keith.  
"He said 'Thanks Keith, I'll give you a ring sometime soon.' " Keith tells them grimly. Adam scoffs.  
"I thought he'd said no because he's married and has children, but his actual answer isn't even bad." Shiro tells Keith with a pat on the back.  
"Yeah, what do you want him to do? Burst into song at finally being asked out by his one true love he's never met?" Adam picks the sweeping brush up again.  
"Shiro, I'm begging you, cut off his Disney movies." Keith deadpans toward Shiro.  
"Stronger men have failed." 

It's three days before he hears anything from Lance. The text he gets reads. 

**hey keith, it's Lance from the coffeeshop  
sorry i didnt message sooner, work at the hospital has been hectic **

So Lance was a doctor. Or maybe a nurse? Still, he worked with sick people in the hospital and that's as valid an excuse as any when it comes to not texting. 

hey lance, dont worry about it  
im sure youre busy saving lives 

**also, i couldnt figure out what to say**

i jumped over a counter  
and flagged you down in a car park  
i dont think you need to worry about embarrassing yourself 

**yeah what did your boss say about that**

oh just that i'd have to  
clean any scuff marks up  
he's pretty chill actually  
the cafe belongs  
to him and my brother

**nice, ive always wanted  
to start a business with  
my best friend but we're  
too uncoordinated **

lance  
….  
theyre married  
theyre gay

**Ohhhh, yeah, right  
now i feel stupid **

what section of the  
hospital do you work in?

**pediatric**

wow  
thats actually really  
sweet

Lance doesn't answer after this and Keith starts to feel self conscious. He definitely doesn't spend nearly an hour staring at his last sent message. Maybe he'd pried too much on Lance's job. Maybe he'd been too forward about Adam and Shiro. But then again, Lance had been the first one to mention his job and Keith had been pretty clear on his intentions, which Lance seemed to accept, so he couldn't have had a problem with Adam and Shiro.  
All hope is not lost though. Lance comes in the next day. Early in the morning whilst Keith is still half asleep.  
"What a pleasant sight to greet me so early in the morning." Lance smiles, bright and dazzling, at Keith. "Same as the other day if you don't mind."  
"What was that again? Sorry, there's been so many orders since then." Keith pulls at the bottom of his jumper sleeves.  
"Peppermint hot chocolate then. But can you do it with a shot of espresso in it?" Lance asks hopefully.  
"Of course." Keith nods and then turns to make his drink, accidentally yawning loudly in the process.  
"Tired?"  
"This place isn't very riveting this early on and I had a late night last night doing a last minute commission." Keith says, turning back to Lance with his finished drink and sliding it over the counter.  
"Oh, you're an artist?" Lance raises his eyebrows. "That's pretty cool."  
"I mean I'm not technically an artist. I make costume swords and knives. For like cosplayers and small tv projects." Keith regrets saying it the moment it comes out of his mouth. It's a strange thing to tell someone you've only just met and most people find it weird and a little off putting.  
"That makes sense. You look like a guy that's into… knives." Lance bounces awkwardly on his heels. He's already paid for his drink but he can't quite bring himself to leave.  
"You know what," Lance says suddenly. "We've got to go some place where we're not separated by this stupid counter. What do you say to dinner? Tonight? At 8?"  
Keith smiles and nods. "Always have hated this counter. Text me your address and I'll pick you up."  
"Okay. It's a date." Lance pulls out his phone and less than ten seconds later, Keith's own phone pings from in his apron.  
"It's a date." Keith nods, stifling his laughter as Lance walks out of the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, leave a kudos or a nice comment! x


End file.
